


Metamorphosis

by addledwalrus



Series: Witch Tales [2]
Category: Chinese Mythology, Japanese Mythology, Korean Mythology - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Ancient China, Animal Instincts, Animal Traits, Animal Transformation, Animalistic, Animals, Asian-American Character, Babies, Bad Ending, Bandits & Outlaws, Blood, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Buried Alive, Caves, Chases, Childbirth, Chinese Character, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Comfort, Corpses, Dark Comedy, Darkness, Death, Earth, Earthquakes, Fantasy, Fear, Fish out of Water, Forests, Foxes, Gen, Gender Roles, Gods, Gore, Healing, Hiding, Horniness, Human, Humanity, Humor, Hybrids, Inappropriate Erections, Inappropriate Humor, Infanticide, Injury, Intimacy, Japanese Character(s), Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Killing, Kitsune, Korean Characters, Korean Religion & Lore, Loneliness, Lust, Magpies, Meditation, Mercy Killing, Metamorphosis, Mildly Dubious Consent, Money, Motherhood, Pain, Parody, Perversion, Punishment, Refugees, Religion, Resistance, Revenge, Running, Seduction, Sexual Content, Soldiers, Supernatural Elements, Theft, Tigers, Tragedy, Transformation, Trees, Violence, War, War Crimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-02-28 11:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18755458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: Three supernatural beings get a taste of what it is to be human. Draws heavily on Chinese, Korean and Japanese mythology.





	1. Jing

**Kingdom of Qi, 221 BC**

The Qin soldier shifted as quietly as he could through the ransacked village, sword at the ready while his eyes scanned around for signs of life. It appeared that there were none, for all he saw were the mutilated corpses of peasants killed in the previous night's massacre.

He had also taken part in the carnage as ordered and recalled that the majority of the village's population had managed to flee in time, making the ones who stayed behind truly unlucky. Or stupid, for believing that an advancing army would show them mercy.

Whatever reasons those people had for refusing to leave, it didn't matter anymore. They had all paid the ultimate price for their choices and now resided in the subterranean realm of Diyu, where they would atone for their sins before reincarnation.

The soldier wondered what sort of judgement he would receive when his time came. He had killed countless people and been instrumental in causing immeasurable suffering, but there wasn't anything else he could have done and as such, hoped that whichever of the Yama Kings he became a subject of, would show some understanding.

He stopped by the body of a woman whose attempt to shield her young child had simply resulted in them both being impaled by a spear. She now lay pitifully near the bridge that was located in the center of the village, clothes caked with dried blood while her face was frozen in a perpetual look of despair.

All that was visible of the baby in her arms was a chubby arm and leg. It was clear that even if she had being hurt by men like him, the tightness of her grip would have suffocated it instead.

He stepped over the pair and made his way across the bridge toward what had to have been the village shrine.

The first thing that he noticed was the statue mounted atop a raised platform. It's bulging eyes seemed to glare at him in rage and he began to feel uneasy.

He averted his eyes and noticed the bowl of rice that had been placed on the floor as an offering. He nudged it with his foot with a smile, knowing that this village deity had been useless in keeping it's worshipers safe.

It was then that a faint rumbling sounded behind him and he slowly turned around. The noise gradually grew louder as the entirety of the surrounding area was overcome by violent tremors.

The statue toppled to the floor and broke in two while he hastily grabbed on to one of the shrine's four posts to maintain his balance and tried not to cry out.

Like an animal thrashing around in it's death throes, the ground gave one last heave before abruptly growing still once more. He breathed a sigh of relief and got ready to leave the shrine, only to be stunned by what happened next.

A misshapen hand shot out from the earth and was then followed by another. He observed speechlessly as they were used to dig the rest of the creature's body free until it was able to clamber out and stand up to confront him directly.

It was the village god, but much larger and even more hideous than it's statue had suggested. He trembled and his voice came out as a weak whimper.

"Don't hurt me..."

The god let out a deep growl before giving a shake of it's shoulders. This caused the dry mud that comprised it's skin to fall off rapidly, revealing that what lay beneath was in fact pale and pink.

Once the shedding was complete, the soldier could do nothing but gape in horror, for he was face-to-face with a living replica of himself.

He tried to say something but found that he simply couldn't form any words with his tongue. The other him stepped forward and with just a tilt of the head, caused the ground beneath his feet to open up and swallow him whole.

His last act as he was buried alive was to scream for mercy and claim that he had done nothing wrong.

* * *

The former village deity known as Jing took slow steps over the bridge until it came across the spot where the mother and child lay.

Jing knelt down and stared at the dead woman's body for a long while to become familiar with her features, before transforming a second time.

Every aspect was replicated almost perfectly, from the pallid complexion to the robes caked with blood.

After assuming her new form, Jing trudged out of the village and within half a day, had become just one among thousands of refugees who had lost their homes and now faced an uncertain future.


	2. So-yeon

**Kingdom of Silla, 9th Century CE**

It was shortly after a battle had ended that a parliament of magpies made a collective decision to land on the field and peck at the numerous bodies lying around.

One used it's beak to pierce both a dead man's eyes and slurp up the fluid that oozed out, while another tried to tear off a piece of the corpse's tongue.

"Don't you just love it when humans kill each other?" The first magpie asked with glee.

"Yes, they are such foolish creatures..."

Some distance away from those two, a young female was perched on the face of a soldier whose head had been bashed in so severely, chunks of his brain had come out.

She seized a small portion and gobbled it up, before experiencing something unexpected. The face of an unknown human suddenly appeared in her memories and she subsequently felt a sadness so deep, that she could only give out a loud call of distress.

The others immediately came flying to see what the trouble was about.

"Are you alright?"

"What has happened?"

The young female raised one wing to wipe away a tear, which was an action that looked rather odd to them.

"I remembered something from this human's life and it made me both upset and happy at the same time."

"You are crazy. Perhaps you ate a rotten berry this morning?"

"No, but it is a frightening thing." She replied with a slight warble to her voice. "Yet, I cannot help myself..."

At that, she threw her head down to gorge on the rest of the human's brain, much to the disbelief of her fellow magpies.

* * *

The Mountain God and his tiger companion were preparing to return home for the night when a lone magpie landing on the path ahead prompted them both to stop.

"Does this little bird think it can stop us? Go scare it away..."

The tiger obeyed and rushed forward with claws at the ready. The magpie panicked and wasted no time in flying up into the safety of a nearby tree.

"Just as I thought. Let's keep going, a nice dinner of venison awaits..."

They continued to walk along the path and the magpie waited until they had rounded a corner to begin following. The privileges that came with being a human were too attractive to resist and she was now determined to make her dream come true no matter what.

The memory of a bowl filled with steaming rice, meat and vegetables was enough to make her mouth water and motivate her to persevere. She followed the Mountain God and tiger from a distance and watched them enter a small house together, before plotting her next course of action.

She flew in through the window just as they were about to enjoy dinner and sought to create chaos by flying repeatedly around the room, screeching loudly and knocking things to the floor until the Mountain God lost his temper.

"You again?!" He yelled in frustration, pushing his bowl aside and standing up tall. "What do you want?!"

She heard his voice and immediately ceased with her frenzied behavior.

"I left my friends behind so that I could seek your help. Make me a human."

The Mountain God's frown turned to a look of disbelief, then into a smile of amusement.

"A human, you say?" He said with a chuckle. "You need only wait a few more years. If you are good, you'll come back as one in the next life..."

At that, he picked up a skewer of meat and took a bite. The smell was too tempting for the magpie and she flew across the room to land on the table.

"I don't want to wait until then! I want to change now!"

"They all say that. You're not the first animal to come here and you won't be the last to give up, either."

The magpie grew infuriated with such words and in a rage, she pushed his bowl of soup off the table with a butt of her head. It landed with a crash and as hot broth spilled everywhere, the tiger readied itself to strike.

"Stay down. I will deal with this foolish bird myself and make it see the error of it's ways..."

The tiger obeyed and went back to feasting on venison while the Mountain God cracked his knuckles in what was supposed to be an intimidating display.

"I'm not like the others." The magpie insisted. "I will return every day until you finally grant my wish."

"And if I still refuse?"

"I will call my friends here and together, we will eat your food and make a mess of everything."

The Mountain God grinned as if he had just been presented with a challenge.

"Then so be it. I have the power to reduce you all to dust anyway..."

* * *

A year passed during which the magpie and her friends hung around the Mountain God's domain, causing trouble whenever they could. Unfortunately, their antics only ever came as a minor nuisance to him and she started to fear that everything so far had all been in vain.

On the three-hundred and sixty-fifth day, she woefully thanked the others for their help and requested that they leave her alone once more, so that she could grieve over lost opportunities in peace.

They respected her wishes and once they were gone, she curled up on the cold ground with the intention of surrendering to the elements.

_"He was right all along. This is the only way..."_

She closed her eyes to anxiously await death and the hours passed, before a familiar voice sounded from up above.

"Giving up?" The Mountain God asked softly. His sympathetic tone was enough to make her open both eyes in surprise.

"No..." She lied while quickly getting up and shaking her feathers. "I was just tired..."

"Clearly." He said with a laugh that only confused her. "It's been a whole year and you still haven't given up. For that, I think you deserve what you're after..."

"Really?"

"Of course. You've earned it."

* * *

The Mountain God gave her mugwort and several cloves of garlic to live on, then showed her to the cave where she was to spend the next hundred days.

"You are not to leave at any time unless I tell to you." He explained while they stood at the entrance. "And this food is all that you will eat, so I advise you to retain energy by meditating."

"Meditating? What's that?"

"It's a human thing that you'll find out about soon enough. Now, in you go..."

Having little other choice, she flew straight into the cave and passed one tunnel after another. Her surroundings grew darker the further she flew, until she couldn't see a thing and resigned herself to resting on the stony floor.

She spent the vast amount of time sleeping and dreaming, to the point that she forgot her original purpose and even what sort of creature she was. When the day finally came for her to leave, she was most reluctant, for the darkness seemed like all she had ever known.

The Mountain God made a hole in the roof of the cave despite her protests, so that a ray of light could stream in. It shone down on her body and she received the first glimpse of her new appearance.

She let out a gasp upon seeing the five toes that were on each of her feet, before raising what had once been her right wing. Gone were the pretty feathers she'd once been so proud of, for they had been replaced by long and stiff upper limbs.

It was then that she remembered everything and the Mountain God's voice echoed through the tunnels, instructing her which way to go if she wished to leave.

She followed his directions while feeling her way through the darkness and the lack of control she had over her legs made the entire feat doubly difficult. Still, she chose to persevere until the cave's exit was clearly visible in the distance.

The world that she found outside was so beautiful that she couldn't help but break down in tears. The Mountain God appeared in front of her holding a pile of clothes.

"Before you go and walk among humans, you must get dressed. They do not take kindly to seeing naked women..."

She had little idea of what he meant, but took the clothes nevertheless because the colors reminded her of flowers that bloomed in spring.

"And finally, you will need a name. What do you think of 'So-yeon'?"

"It sounds nice, but I would still rather be called  _Worm Eater_."

The Mountain God gave her a look of pity before turning away.

"Suit yourself. You're on your own from now on, anyway."

He descended down the mountain path and she let out a squeal of delight once he was gone.

* * *

So-yeon pranced her way through the port town of Busan while marveling at what she could only describe as a paradise on earth. Bright lanterns lit up the streets and it seemed everywhere she went, other humans were calling to each other to try out a wide variety of food and drinks.

She gave in to temptation by responding to the voice of a short woman with grey hair, by picking a skewer of meat off a plate and savoring a bite before wandering off.

"Hey, you!" The elderly woman shouted after her. "I expect you to pay for that!"

Unfortunately, So-yeon did not understand the concept of money and her journey of discovery was brought to an abrupt end by morning, when she was arrested for numerous counts of theft, property damage and indecent behavior.


	3. Kumiko

**Sengoku Period**

The girl sat with her back pressed to the large tree and both legs spread apart as pain overwhelmed her to the point that she feared she'd explode. Ragged gasps escaped her lips and although she clutched her stomach tightly in an attempt to numb the horrible sensation, there really wasn't any way to halt the process of childbirth.

She let go of herself before surrendering completely to the course of nature. Perhaps it didn't matter anymore whether she lived or died; her whole existence had been leading up to this point and there was no escaping fate this time. All she could do now was fight the good fight and make sure that her baby came into this world alive, even if it meant sacrificing her own life.

And so, with newfound determination, she focused all of her energy into pushing as hard as she could. She shut her eyes and clenched her teeth to stay quiet, until she finally felt something being expelled from between her legs.

She let out a moan and opened her eyes just as the pain began to abate. Her body had become weak from exhaustion, yet she couldn't help but feel immensely proud of what she'd overcome.

_"I've done it. I am worthy of this form, after all..."_

She looked down at the wriggling infant whose form was barely visible in the moonlight, before slowly picking it up with trembling hands. Her joy faded immediately upon seeing it's entire appearance and she could only whimper in despair.

The infant's body was unmistakably human, but the head was that of a newborn fox cub. Tears welled up in her eyes as she felt her own heart tear in two. One half of her wanted to love and protect this hybrid creature, while the other saw it as nothing more than an abomination that needed to be destroyed.

"I'm so sorry..." She murmured in between sobs, as she held it close her to the chest and sought a resolution to the conflict raging inside of her.

Allowing such a creature to live would bring her temporary happiness, but there was no doubt that it's life would be filled with endless suffering. She weighed her two choices against each other and sure enough, it became increasingly clear which would be more preferable.

She took a deep breath, then gripped the creature's chin and snapped it's neck with one swift motion. It's body went limp and she cradled it in her arms one last time, before laying it gently on the ground and using her hands to dig a shallow grave.

* * *

Ichiro's legs were badly bruised and his clothes coated with dried blood as he stumbled clumsily through the darkness. His only wish in that moment was to seek refuge from the bandits whom had ambushed him earlier, so he pressed forward despite the pain that coursed through his entire body and the fact that he couldn't remember at all where he was.

"Look! There's that pathetic scholar!" A rough voice sounded from the trees behind him, striking fear into his heart. "Don't let him get away alive!"

He tried to run faster but found that his legs could only move so much, thanks to the way in which the bandits had chosen to beat him. Their voices grew louder still and realizing that there was little chance of outpacing them, he threw himself to the ground and began crawling slowly along in search of some shrubbery to hide under.

Once he believed that his body was sufficiently concealed, he held his breath and began to count in his mind. A pair of sandal clad feet soon appeared right before his eyes and their foul smell made him wrinkle his nose in disgust.

_"Please, don't look down..."_

The bandit looked down and gave Ichiro a sadistic grin.

"What have we here? Did you really think you could hide from-"

An invisible force swept the bandit straight up into the air before they could finish speaking. They screamed and struggled against whatever was gripping them tight, until the unknown being put an end to the noise by slamming them headfirst into a tree.

Ichiro could only gape as the bandit's body dropped back down to the ground like it was some sort of doll. He didn't dare leave his current hiding place out of fear that the being would target him next, so he continued to stay still when the other bandits came running over to investigate.

"Is that Shichi? What happened to him?"

"Who cares?! We have a scholar to find!"

The bandits spent a few more moments quarreling among each other before the being attacked them just like it had done with Shichi. The majority were cut down where they stood, though what happened to those still standing was gruesome indeed.

One man's head simply exploded like a smashed watermelon, while another doubled over and defecated their own intestines. A third man vomited out his heart and lungs before promptly dying of extreme shock, the sight of which made Ichiro quite nauseous himself.

He shut his eyes to block out the nightmarish view and tried to bravely await his own end. Unfortunately, his anxious nature was having none of that and without much further thought, he frantically left his hiding spot to wave both arms around and plead for his life.

"Please, don't kill me! I'm a righteous man!"

Silence followed and he feared for a moment that his fate was sealed, but the appearance of an exhausted looking girl from behind a tree soon put him at ease.

"It's alright now..." She whispered softly, approaching him by stepping over the mangled corpses as if there was nothing unusual about their presence. "The bad men won't hurt you anymore..."

She reached up to clasp his cheeks and he stared into her large doelike eyes before losing consciousness.

* * *

Ichiro awoke to feel a hand rubbing against his chest and promptly sat up in a panic while screaming. After all, a proper man like him wasn't accustomed to being touched by strangers, regardless of whether they were pretty young girls who appeared to be of marriageable age.

"Take your hands off me, lustful wench! I'm saving myself for my wedding day!"

He tried to push the mysterious girl away, but it proved difficult when she was able to counter with a roughly equal amount of strength. She slammed her hand into his abdomen, thus pinning him back down against the floor so that she could continue treating his wounds.

"Please, just trust me..." She pleaded while smearing more ointment over a gash right below his sternum. "I only want to nurse you back to health..."

"Nurse me back to health? Do you really mean that?"

"Of course. How could I abandon someone as handsome as you?"

Ichiro blushed. Nobody had ever used that word to describe him, so the compliment left him feeling quite flattered. Still, he didn't want to seem arrogant and as a result, made an effort to deny her words.

"No, you needn't be so kind. I am really nothing special..."

"Oh, but you are." She insisted, moving her hand down towards his left thigh and prompting him to flinch in embarrassment. "You have a very nice looking body too..."

She began to stroke his leg slowly and gently, until the prolonged physical contact brought on a stiffness in his member. He gasped while she fixated on that part of his body, clearly impressed.

"Oh my..." She whispered as her dainty mouth formed a lecherous smile. "You are truly a fine specimen..."

Ichiro lost his composure completely.

"Stupid woman! Why can't you just do your job?!"

* * *

Ichiro sat sullenly in the doorway, shifting his still bruised legs and trying to enjoy the sunlight while the girl cooked rice inside.

He realized that he had never once asked for her name and sought to resolve such an issue despite how she'd behaved the previous night.

"Please forgive me, but I still don't know who you are..."

"My name is Kumiko, good sir. What is yours?"

"Takahashi Ichiro." He replied, turning around to observe her at work.

Normally, a girl of such an age would have plenty of family members to support her in life, yet he hadn't seen a single other person around over the course of his stay. He began to wonder about the reasons for her isolation and how she was even able to survive alone.

"Kumiko..." He spoke up, saying her name for the first time. "Where is your family? Have they abandoned you?"

She remained silent for a long while and eventually let out a sniff before answering.

"They're all long gone. I outlived them..."

Ichiro knew right away what she meant and his heart began to ache for her loss. He got up with some difficulty and feeling a deep sense of pity, stepped back inside to sit next to her.

"So, you really are alone in this world. How long until your food runs out?"

"A few more days..." She murmured, reaching up to wipe a tear from her eye. "Then I will have to go out on my own..."

She burst into tears and leaned her head against his shoulder to cry away the despair. He looked down in surprise, then wrapped his arm around her waist as an act of reassurance.

"Please, don't be scared. I'll do whatever I can to help you..."

She blinked and stared up at him with those beautiful but pained eyes.

"Do you really mean what you say?"

"Yes..."

"Then marry me..." She said pleadingly. "Be the protector that I need, and give me the family that I've always wanted..."

Ichiro felt her hand slide right down between his legs and upon taking in the sight of her youthful beauty, found that he didn't have the heart to refuse.

"It...it would be my pleasure..."


End file.
